Virginia farmers will plant less cotton, soybeans

ISLE OF WIGHT - After a bumper cotton crop in 2012, Virginia farmers are expecting to plant 24 percent less this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Cotton producers are expected to plant 65,000 acres this year, down from 85,000 acres in 2012, according to the agency's crop report released Monday. Virginia's corn crop is projected to hit 520,000 acres, up by 10,000 acres from 2012.

Isle of Wight farmer Robbie Taylor is doubtful cotton acreage will drop that low since prices have been on the uptick in recent weeks. On Tuesday, cotton had inched up to 89 cents a pound, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website. In February 2011, cotton hit record highs of $2.30 per pound.

"Cotton prices have gotten really strong over the last three weeks," said Taylor, who farms 2,200 acres with partner Dean Stallings. "It's a gut feeling but I don't think acreage is going to be down that much. There's still time to change your mind about what you plant."

Once their winter wheat is harvested, Taylor and Stallings will plant 1,200 acres of soybeans in its place. They are also planting 800 acres of cotton - slightly less than last year - and 150 acres of corn.

Statewide, Virginia farmers are planning to decrease soybean acreage to 570,000, approximately 20,000 acres less than last year, according to the crop report. Peanuts are also declining to 14,000 acres, down from 20,000 in 2012.

Winter wheat, planted last fall on 290,000 acres statewide, is up 4 percent this year, according to the crop report. Most farmers will plant soybeans on that acreage once the wheat is harvested in June, said David Moore, extension agent for Gloucester, Middlesex and Mathews counties.

Farmers across southeastern Virginia will begin planting corn in the next week or two, a little late because of an unusually wet, chilly March, Moore said.

Middlesex County farmer Jason Bray said he will split his acreage between corn and soybeans this year. Corn and soybeans are the Middle Peninsula's top crops, totaling approximately 60,000 and 70,000 acres respectively in the five-county region, Moore said.